Maria David
THE Ondangwa-based band, Smallpark M4, has dedicated its new song to band member, Dr. Tavaziva Onesmus Musariri, who died in a road accident between Windhoek and Rehoboth last month.
According to Smallpark owner and band member, Amena Munyika, Musariri was the driving force of the African and native sounds and compositions for the band.
Smallpark M4 has produced a 26-track album, and is forging ahead with plans to release music videos.
The band of brothers and friends has been out of sight for a while due to several challenges, but is now back in business and under a new name, the Smallpark M4 Band.
It announced its re-entry with a recent performance at a corporate event in northern Namibia.
Munyika stated that apart from the band, the late Musariri was like a brother, a doctor and a good friend.
“We feel the gap. We will have to swallow this hard pill and do this album without him and in his honour,” he said.
Munyika added that the 26 track M4 album is like a one-stop for listeners, with genres including classic, traditional and religious.
The double CD, which includes sounds from the 2005 and 2012 M4 albums, also feature a collaboration song ‘Young Boys’ with Ras Sheehama, Peya Nakatimba, Rick Coury, Mario Kandetu and Paul Slage.
“The project of the next M4 album will feature a few tracks including ‘Eilikano’, which translates to ‘Prayer’,” said Munyika, who is a son of a bishop.
He explained that the song was composed in March 2020 and a music video was recorded for a friend and a band member who lost a father that month.
“The friend shared the song with his friends who liked it and requested that the song be part of the ‘Hope around the world’ music project,” he said.
Munyika explained that the music project is a collaboration of artists around the world who are producing music and dances to give hope to those facing difficult times.
The band is expected to release an album titled ‘Rehab’ by November 2021, which speaks on how they all have to start over sometime, leave it all behind, how it is never easy to say goodbye, as well as coping with challenges and facing them head on.
Plans are in place to release more single albums and videos in early 2022.
In 2022, the band hope to drop a song of hope titled ‘We are Free Finally’ featuring Tate Buti.
“We hope that things will move in a positive direction and that one day we will finally be free and we can live and love again. This, amongst others, are some of the major plans for 2022,” he said.
The band also plans to expand and do more public appearances by performing at corporate events to spread and promote the album.
